The investigation also determined that no red lights or gates were in place to get drivers to stop before a train was immediately in view.

In the rail and highway industries, intersections where train tracks cross roadways at the same level are called "grade crossings." A 2007 report prepared for the Federal Railroad Administration determined that "the second highest percentage of train accident fatalities--42 percent from 1995 through 2005--(was) due to collisions at grade crossings." A principal recommendation in that report is that regulators must ensure that rail operators remove visual obstructions from around grade crossings.